Fires continue to devour large areas of the Syrian coastal mountains, extending from forests and wooded areas in western Hama countryside and Sahil Al-Ghab to Latakia and Jableh countryside, amid limited intervention by official firefighting teams, leaving residents in the villages facing a critical situation, as civil attempts continue to extinguish the fires.
Local sources reported that the fire is consuming large areas in Ain Al-Kroum in Sahil Al-Ghab, and has reached civilian homes in Hatam village and Al-Halawa mill, with timid intervention by government authorities or local and international organizations. People continue to confront the fires with their limited capabilities in a desperate attempt to contain them.
Meanwhile, the fires have spread to the slopes of Beit Yashout area in Jableh countryside, threatening residential areas and agricultural farms, while flames continue to advance through Latakia and Hama countryside, from the western woodlands to the outskirts of Sahil Al-Ghab.
SOHR reiterates its call for urgent action to extinguish these fires, warning that if the situation continues, human and material losses will worsen and risks will escalate. The rough terrain of these areas makes aerial intervention necessary.
Local sources noted that extinguishing operations over the past four days have been carried out mainly by residents and locals, with only limited firefighting assistance, a few fire trucks arrived yesterday to help, while the fires have been burning for four days. A single helicopter joined the firefighting efforts today.
According to residents, on the evening of Monday, August 11, a drone flew over the area between “Anab and Ain Al-Kurum and dropped what they described as “thermal balloons” over hard-to-reach areas near Bani Hashim shrines, sparking the spread of the flames over vast areas. Several fire trucks reportedly arrived about 48 hours after the fires began.
Popular efforts to put out the fires continue despite the rugged terrain and difficulty accessing affected sites. Today, one helicopter and a small number of fire trucks participated in the extinguishing operations.
Meanwhile, fires also broke out today in Quniyah village in Tartus countryside, raising fears they may spread to residential areas.
The same sources reported that a meeting was held on Sunday, August 10, between residents and a security official in Al-Suqaylibiyah area. During the meeting, the official spoke of the presence of “remnants of the former regime” in the area. However, residents denied the presence of any external members, affirming that all those in the area are from the same region.

SOHR report